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Customer Service By purchasing from Down Under Saddle Supply you receive service and advice that is unparalleled within the industry. Here in Denver we have a huge inventory of saddles in stock for immediate delivery, assuring that you receive the right saddle for you and your horse. Most of our current Kimberley Series and Down Under models have adjustable saddle trees, whereby we can adjust the saddle to fit nearly any kind of horse .....big or small. When we receive your wither tracing we match it to a suitable saddle and make any needed adjustements. If after you receive your saddle you are unsure of the saddle fit, just post or email us some side-on, front, and back photographs of the saddle on the horse, with the horse in a normal upright position. With the right pictures, we can usually help with most fitment questions right over the phone. If you made a mistake with the wither tracing: Down Under is still there for you. After viewing the photographs we will advise you if you have the saddle correctly positioned on the horse and if the saddle fitment is correct. If the saddle fitment is not correct we offer you one additional saddle tree adjustment at no charge (a $60 value). You send the saddle to us freight pre-paid, along with a note with your phone number and return delivery address, we will adjust the saddle tree to suit the photographs and we will pay the return shipping back to you. Please allow up to five work days for the adjustment, plus the return shipping time. Fitment for the horse and rider is our number one priority. Each original Down Under Direct customer is entitled to one custom adjustment at the time of purchase, and one additonal adjustment any time during the first year at no charge. |
| How to Take a Wither Tracing |
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Some companies ask for measurements at certain intervals along the horses back. Down Under has sold thousands Aussie saddles since 1992. During this time we have developed this simple, accurate, and easy method to measure a horse for a saddle. We do not normally require any additional measurements along the horses back.
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How to Take a Take a Heart Girth Measurement
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Measure the circumference of the horses body in inches. This measurement goes all the way around the horse, about one to three inches behind the front legs. |
| Where to position the saddle on your horse |
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Australian saddles sit more forward on the horses back than traditional western saddles, the stirrups are also attached in a more forward position. This puts the rider's center of gravity and weight in a more forward position rather than the middle of the spine. The girth should be 1" to 3" behind the horse's front legs. This position is unquestionably far more comfortable for most horses and greatly enhances horse performance. Before undertaking a long ride with your new saddle, we suggest many shorter rides allowing the padding to conform and adjust to your horse.
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| How the saddle should fit on your horse |
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Australian saddles do sit differently on a horse than Western or English saddles, and a different fitment approach is required. Make sure you contact us directly with any questions you may have. Be assured no one else can offer you the kind of knowledge required for saddle fitment of Australian saddles. Do not rely on trainers, tack shops, conventional saddle fitters or friends, whom although mean well, do not have the expertise required regarding Australian saddles and how they should fit your horse.
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The ABC's of Horse Saddle Fitment
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(A) The Front of the saddle is too high The front (pommel) of this saddle is sitting too high. This will result in the majority of the riders' weight being transferred to the back half of the saddle. It's a simple principal of weight running downhill. This is uncomfortable for the rider and the horse; within a short period of time the horse will develop white hair, then visible saddle soreness. The saddle tree is too narrow for the horse, and you need a wider saddle. The narrower the saddle tree the higher the front of the saddle will sit. |
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(B) The Front of the saddle is too low The back (cantle) of this saddle is sitting too high. This will result in the majority of the riders' weight being transferred to the front half of the saddle. It's a simple principal of weight running downhill. This is uncomfortable for the rider and the horse; within a short period of time the horse will develop white hair, then visible saddle soreness. The saddle tree is too wide for the horse, and you need a narrower saddle or a saddle tree adjustment- (if adjustable). The wider the saddle tree the lower the front of the saddle will sit. |
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(C) Absolutely as good as it gets The front and back of this saddle is level, distributing the riders' weight evenly over the horse's back. Actually we don't just consider the front and back of the saddle, we also look at the seat itself. The seat in this saddle is nice and level. To determine that the saddle is fairly level, just eyeball it, there is no need to use an engineers level. It is not always possible to get this perfect "textbook fitment" shown here, however if the front is a little higher or a little lower, you will be just fine, as long as you don't have the extremes shown above. (Several of our saddle models are made with a deeper seat and higher cantle, so naturally the back of the seat will sit slightly higher than the front on these models). |
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| When the saddle is level, there should be even contact along the panels at the front of the saddle. There should be two to four inches of clearance between the top of the withers and the top of the saddle chamber. |
| How can you determine saddle fitment in this way? I saw some guy conducting a clinic and claiming you need to have four fingers of clearance at the front of the saddle and certain clearance on each side of the withers. |
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Well I guess you might say we have taken saddle fitment to a whole new level. If you don't have enough clearance between the top of the withers and the saddle, the front of the saddle is obviously sitting too low on the horse, this is diagnosed in illustration "B" above. If you had too much clearance at the front this is diagnosed in illustration "A". Our new fitting program is as simple as ABC, you would wonder why saddle fitters try to make it so difficult! |
| How to ride Australian
Riding Position: Adjust the stirrup leather length so when you're sitting in the saddle your thigh runs parallel with the kneepad. You'll ride longer in the stirrup with your feet forward and heels down. You should place 25% of your weight in each stirrup and the balance in the seat of the saddle, this ensures an even weight distribution on the horse's back. If your horse is developing sore spots, you always need to consider two points, saddle fitment and the rider's technique. Is the rider placing the correct weight in the stirrups and the saddle seat? When posting in an Australian saddle, you need to use a much lower post than you might have been taught by your riding instructor. You have a few minor riding adjustments to make in order to enjoy the many benefits of an Australian saddle. After you have mastered "Aussie Riding" it is unlikely you will ever want to ride Western or English ever again. |
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How to select the proper seat size ....
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Australian saddles are measured differently to Western or English saddles. Below is a guide to the size you will need in an Australian saddle, however we still require your height, weight and pant size to correctly determine the exact size you will need for a particular saddle.
(a) length of tree. |
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Approximate Saddle Size Guide - Ladies
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| Saddle Size |
15
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16
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17
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18
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19
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20
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21
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| Weight (lbs) |
95-120
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120-140
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140-160
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160-180
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180-200
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200-220
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220 Plus
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| Pant Size |
4/6
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6/8
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10/12
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14/16
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18/20
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20/22
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22 Plus
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Approximate Saddle Size Guide - Men
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| Saddle Size |
15
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16
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17
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18
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19
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20
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21
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| Weight (lbs) |
110-130
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130-160
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160-180
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180-200
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200-220
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220-240
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240 Plus
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| Waist Size |
28-32
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32-34
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34-36
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36-38
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38-40
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40-42
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42 Plus
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Please note that these are general guidelines. If you have any questions about which saddle size is right for you, give us a call. We're always happy to help!
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| Which style of Australian saddle should I buy to suit my horse? |
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Serge Panel
This kind of panel is self adjusting, the saddle fit keeps improving with each and every ride, until it has conformed to the shape of your horse. This kind of saddle will sit higher on the horse when new, but will lower when the panel begins to conform to your horse. This however, will only work if you have the correct tree width to suit your horse, please refer to our horse fitment details above for more information. The stuffing in our Down Under Collection Saddles is a acrylic flock, with each fiber having a hollow core, keeping the horse cooler than any other stuffing, and it is unlikely that you ever need to reawl or restuff the panel, unless you do a tremendous amount of riding. A serge panel saddle is best suited for horses with medium to higher withers, and is ideal for the majority of horses. This is the most popular type of Australian saddle and will provide many years of service. |
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Fleece Panel
Fleece panels are most commonly seen on Western saddles and are fitted to Aussie saddles that are made with extended bars on the saddle tree. The riders weight is spread over a larger area on the horses back, (due to the extended bars) amounting to less pounds per square inch of weight on the horses back. However, this kind of panel is best suited for horses that have a long wide flat back. If you use this kind of saddle on a horse with a short back, the extended panels will irritate / rub the horse. Additionally if your short-backed horse has any curve to its back, this kind of panel will cause a bridging effect, whereby all the riders weight will be a four points on the horse's back (either side at the front and either side at the back). However, if your horse has a wide flat back, this panel is an excellent choice...... |
